Saturday 8th May - Friday 14th May 2021.

Intro:

Wagtails, Whinchats and Waders; where to start?

Waders:

Let’s start with waders.  Before focusing on the sightings of the rarer and scarcer species, it is perhaps worth pausing for a moment to recognise the spectacle provided by our commoner waders as they head north on migration at this time of year.  Most of our estuaries have good numbers of Dunlin and Common Ringed Plover, and these flocks will often pull in more sought-after species as well.  Counts of Dunlin have included up to 259 birds at the Alaw estuary (259 on 10^th, 95 on 8^th), c.200 birds on the Cefni estuary (9^th) and up to 89 birds at Traeth Dulas (89 on 8^th, 65 on 11^th and 48 on 12th).  Sightings of Common Ringed Plover have included up to 209 birds at the Alaw estuary (209 on 10^th, 20+ on 9^th) and up to 69 birds at Traeth Dulas (69 on 8^th, 65 on 12^th, 56 on 11th).  Close scrutiny of these mixed flocks will often turn up something more unusual, which this week included a Curlew Sandpiper at Alaw estuary (10^th) and several Sanderling.  There were 4 Sanderling at the Alaw estuary (10^th), 1 at Cemlyn (8^th) and up to 7 at Treath Dulas (7 on 11^th, 2 on 8^th, 1 on 12^th).

4 Dotterel at Carmel Head (9^th) were an excellent find, as were 3 late Purple Sandpiper at Cemlyn (13^th).  Cemlyn also had several Turnstone, some of which are now in fine summer plumage (14^th).

 

Ruddy Turnstone - Cemlyn - 14th May 2021 by J Martin Jones @birdinginasuit

2 Little Ringed Plover were seen at RSPB Cors Ddyga (8^th) and 1 Grey Plover was at the Alaw estuary (8^th).  Whimbrel are still present in reasonably good numbers, with counts of 30 south of Llyn Trafwll (11^th), 7 at RSPB Cors Ddyga (8^th), 6 at Red Wharf Bay (9^th), 7 at Penmon Pool (10^th), 4 at the Alaw estuary (10^th) and 5 at Cemlyn (13^th).  There were 7 Bar-tailed Godwit at the Alaw estuary (10^th). 

Passerines:

Back to the Wagtails and Whinchats.  The coastal fields between Tyn Llan, Cemlyn and Hen Borth continued to be the Yellow Wagtail hotspot with 1 at Tyn Llan fields, Cemlyn (8^th), 3 at Henborth (10^th), 7 at Tyn Llan fields, Cemlyn (11^th) and 3 at Tyn Llan fields, Cemlyn (12^th).  Most were clearly of the ‘British’ sub-species flavissima, but a couple of the birds had paler heads and pronounced supercilium prompting speculation as to whether they were female flava or flava x flavissima. 

It has been a particularly good year for sightings of Whinchat and this continued into this week with up to 2 birds at RSPB Cors Ddyga (2 on 14^th, 1 on 8^th), 3 at Hen Borth (10^th), 4 at Carmel Head (11^th) and 1 at Cemlyn (12^th).  Following on from the first sighting last week of Spotted Flycatcher, there were several more sightings this week with 1 at South Stack (9^th), up to 3 birds at Tyn Llan, Cemlyn (3 on 10^th, 2 on 11^th), 1 at Soldier’s Point, Holyhead (10^th) and 1 at Carmel Head (11^th).  The good run of Tree Pipits and White Wagtails continued, with sightings including 2 Tree Pipit at Carmel Head (11^th), 1 Tree Pipit at Cemlyn (12^th), 22 White Wagtail at Hen Borth (8^th) and 10 White Wagtails at Cemlyn (10^th).  Reports of Cuckoos came in from Cemlyn (8^th), Carmel Head (11^th), and Traeth Llydan (14^th).  A Black Redstart was reported from The Range (9^th) and the number of Swifts continues to increase with the largest count being of 27 moving north over the Oystercatcher, Rhosneigr (9^th).  Grasshopper Warblers were still 'reeling' at RSPB Cors Ddyga (13^th) and Cors Bodeilio (14^th).  There were good numbers of Lesser Redpoll reported with up to 54 at South Stack (54 on 11^th - including 45 in 1 flock, 11 on 14^th) and 28 birds at Cafnan, near Cemlyn (12^th).  There were also up to 24 Siskin over South Stack (24 on 14^th, 5 on 11^th).  Reports of Hooded Crow continue from their favoured sights and included 1 at Hen Borth (8^th, 14^th), 1 at The Range (9^th) and 1 at South Stack (11^th, 14^th).  Finally, a late Fieldfare was at Cemlyn (11^th).

Raptors:

An Osprey was seen perched on a post on the saltmarsh, Cefni estuary (9^th), a Red Kite was seen over The Range (9^th) and a female Merlin was at Carmel Head (14^th). 

Seabirds:

A distant Arctic Skua past Rhoscolyn and headed off towards South Stack (14^th).

Gulls and Terns:

Up to 3 Mediterranean Gulls were at Cemlyn (3 on 8^th, 1 on 13^th). 

There are some 2500 Sandwich Terns at Cemlyn, with approximately 600 Arctic and 400 Common Terns.  The good number of Arctic Terns is thought to reflect returning birds that were displaced off the Skerries last year.

Divers & Grebes:

No Divers or scarce Grebes were reported during the week.

Swans, Geese & Ducks:

The Pink-footed Goose continues with its stay at Penmon Pool (10^th-11^th), whilst there were 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese on the Inland Sea (8^th).

A pair of Garganey were at RSPB Cors Ddyga (13^th) and there were 36 Eider off Penmon Point (11^th).

 

The forthcoming week 15^th May – 21^st May?

A good week for a taste of birds from warmer climes, with a Golden Oriole at Malltraeth (15^th) in 2015 and another at Soldier’s Point (20^th) in 2010.  Further colour came in the form of a European Bee-eater at the Breakwater Country Park (16^th) in 2001, a Citrine Wagtail at Cemlyn (17^th) in 2011, a Black-headed Bunting at South Stack (18^th) in 2001, a Common Rosefinch at South Stack (18^th) in 2008 and a Bluethroat at South Stack (19^th) in 1990.  Corncrake features twice, with a bird at Dulas Bay (15^th) in 2015 and another at Bull Bay Golf club (17^th) in 2001 (yes, that really was 20 years ago!).  Likewise, there are two records of Ring-necked Duck with a bird at Mynachdy Pond (16^th) in 1994 and another at Holyhead Harbour (16^th) in 1998.  The latter was found by birders searching for 2 Bonaparte’s Gulls that had been seen earlier at Beddmanarch Bay (16^th) – 1 of which did the decent thing and returned to the shore of the car park at Penrhos Coastal Park allowing a good few to catch up with this bird.  A single rare tern; a White-winged Black Tern at Aberffraw estuary (21^st) in 1961.  And just in case you think that it is too late for any rare or scarce winter visitors, the Snowy Owl - which had been tantalizing birders with single observer sightings over a period of some weeks – finally gave itself up to an admiring hoard when it was found on the coastline between Point Lynas and Amlwch Port (15^th) in 2018.